Fire and Adventure
by Earthenfist
Summary: When is the Avatar not just the Avatar?  When he is also the heir to the Fire Nation.  Follow Fire Prince Riza on a journey of discovery as he finds out just how interconnected the world really is.
1. Chapter 1

When fireprince Riza heard the news, he couldn't believe it. From the hardened, glaring looks his parents were giving the fire sage, neither could they. There was absolutely no way that Prince Riza, heir to the throne of the Fire Lord, could be the Avatar. But that was exactly what the fire sage was earnestly saying.

"We wish to take him to the temple of the Avatar, and there train him to mastery in firebending. No harm will come to him, we guarantee his safety. You can trust in our abilities to protect him." He kept repeating, reassuring the outraged Fire Lord, and the near hysterical Fire Lady.

Throughout it all, the fireprince could barely keep himself from shouting with excitement. Only years of diplomatic training kept him sitting cross legged on his throne.

"Mother, Father, I wish to go," he said, matter-of-factly. To tell the truth, he would have taken any excuse to leave. Life could get very boring if one was never let outside the palace. And infrequent public processions were little more than sitting in a box, looking out at the assembled citizens. _No_, he thought, _I'd rather gargle cactus juice than stay here for another year._

Riza's statement had silenced the argument. His mother looked pleadingly at him

"Please, Riza, you can't go. You can't leave your position as heir," she said. His father had an excuse as well.

"You don't need any help learning firebending! Especially not from a group of moldy old sages, sitting on that island _meditating_ all day. I'll teach you personally. With my help, you'll be a master in no time." The Fire sage quickly shot down this line of argument with a small piece of additional information.

"I believe that you misunderstand. Not only will the boy receive training in Firebending, but he must also be coached in spiritual matters. Sitting around and meditating may be precisely what keeps him from losing control of his power and doing something terrible."

"Please, I will go with him. I want to train with the sages," Riza said yet again. This time his parents seemed to take notice.

"But, son, you are the _only_ heir to the throne! What will-," The FireLord was cut off by the Sage.

"Being the Avatar will not affect his position in the Royal Family, your Lordship. Young Riza here shall remain heir as long as he is the only child capable of taking the throne. And I am quite certain that being the living embodiment of the elements will not detract from his standing in the eyes of the citizenry." After a few more hours of similar back and forth, the monarchs were finally beaten down by the Fire Sage's incessant righteousness and their son's quiet insistence.

"Very well," the Fire Lord said, hanging his head in exhaustion and defeat, "Riza may go with you, and train at the Avatar's temple. However," he said, and his eyes lit up with a barely controlled heat, "If I hear that anything, _anything_ has happened to my son while in your care, the power of a thousand volcanoes will be nothing in compare to the punishment I will bring down upon you!"

And so began Riza's journey into the wide world, and along the twisting, intangible path of the Avatar.


	2. Chapter 2

"Once more, Riza

"Once more, Riza. This time, remember to allow the energy to _flow_ from your breath. Do not force it as though it will resist. The fire wants to be set free; all you are doing is keeping it in check." Fire Sage Kine was a fun old man, but his insistence on perfection was getting on Riza's nerves. It didn't help that the Sage never used the boy's proper title. Riza wasn't vain about it, and he didn't let the power that title entailed get to his head, but it was just that he was used to being called Prince Riza, or Fireprince. Not 'boy' or 'young one'. Riza thrust his fist forwards, trying this time to let the energy flow, and was rewarded with a burst of flames hotter than before. There was even a hint of blue at the base.

Not that he was complaining, either. He was happy here at the temple. Happier than he'd been at home for a while. The Fire Sages respected his wishes, even if they didn't always obey him, and he had a lot more freedom than he ever got at the palace. And the things the Sages were teaching him! The other day, Head Sage Yagi had sculpted a dragon out of lava with his _bare hands_! And he has promised Riza that he would teach him how!

"Riza! Pay attention." Kine barked at him. "Your mind is drifting again. Do you want to spend an extra half-hour meditating this evening?"

"Sorry, master Kine. I'll pay more attention."

It had only been about two months since Riza had learned his status as the Avatar and left the palace, but he had learned more in those two months than he had in almost twelve years under his royal firebending tutors. They had started with some of the basics, and had drilled him until he believed he could do them in his sleep, but the Fire Sages really knew their bending, and under their tutelage, Riza had been getting more power and steadier bursts than ever. They had progressed past that, though, and Riza found that the advanced sets were called advanced for a reason. And they kept getting harder. Grapples, strikes, fire walls that could deflect projectiles. Flame control, exercises to develop Ki strength, Tigerbear palm technique, Phoenix style!

Riza was now a formidable fighter, able to take on ten apprentice sages at once without breaking a sweat. And just now, he had had a bluish tint to his fire as well. But despite the fun of the firebending training, the spiritual side of his Avatar training was really, really boring.

Riza was sixteen! Maybe sitting around all day meditating was peaceful for old fogeys, but not for a young man! And that was why all five of the Fire Sages and their apprentices had learned to never open a door that was already ajar without first looking to see if there was a bucket of dragon snot balanced on it, or to never let Riza near their fresh laundry. Truth be told, it wasn't always Riza. You sometimes had to watch out for master Yagi too.

The old man had really taken the Fireprince under his wing, and although he still left the basic training with the other Sages, he was working with the prince on lightning bending, as well as teaching him to absorb heat so he wouldn't get burned by _any_ fire, his or someone else's.

Riza was startled out of his reverie by a bright flash of blue, right in front of him. Had he done that? He stared in incredulity at the huge deep scorch mark in the stone wall in front of him.

"Good job, boy!" Master Kine shouted, "You've gone blue! I think that that is enough progress for now. Tomorrow we start on the more advanced sets." The sage waved him out of the training arena in the basement of the temple. "Now go see apprentice Raynu for something to eat. Firebending is hungry work!" Riza left the paunchy master laughing uproariously at his own joke, and ascended the stairs to the kitchens.


	3. Chapter 3

This is a work of fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nick and/or Brian and Mike.

Hi again. It's me, your poor ignored author. I would still _loove_ some sort of review, or an e-mail, or something to show that I'm not going unnappreciated here. Pretty please, with carrots.

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When Riza reached the kitchen, he found his nose assailed by…nothing. He was surprised. No smell of roasting meats, no boiling soup, no cooking of any sort was going on in the kitchen that was usually as busy as a hive of buzzard-wasps. He entered the cavernous room expecting to find it empty. Instead, he saw a group of bald men in orange robes making heaps and heaps of salad. As he stood there, dumbfounded, apprentice Ranyu came into the kitchen from the other side.

"Could someone _please_ get those sky bison fed? They're starting to wander towards the temple gardens, and I don't think that our mustard crop can survive them." The short, balding apprentice was at once pleading and commanding. Outside of his kitchens, he was very demure, but inside he ruled with an iron ladle. Ranyu commanded, and the bald men obeyed. One of them immediately left off chopping onions and left towards the stables. It was then that Ranyu saw Riza.

"Riza, how did your exercises with Master Kine go? Never mind that, come over here and have something to eat." He gestured with the large iron fork that he wore in place of a hand he once lost feeding a hungry dragon. It was because of this missing hand that he was just an apprentice, and not a full Sage. You just couldn't get fire to bend right with a fork, but you could still cook up a storm!

"It went well, thank you. I even got a little bit of blue! But," Riza looked about in confusion, "why are all these strange people here?"

"What? Didn't Master Yagi tell you? No? Oh, dear. Well, the clothing and food should at least give you a clue." He said. When Riza shook his head no, he continued his explanation. "You know about the Avatar cycle, right? Well, the next element in the cycle is air, and these are Airbenders. You have almost reached the end of your training with us, and—oh! Here's Master Yagi. He'll tell you about it."

It was indeed Fire Sage Yagi that had just entered the kitchens. Looking for Riza, most likely. Well, he had found him. The Sage hurried through the busy, bustling kitchen, parting the sea of orange like he could part the lava flows, confidence and experience etched into every deep wrinkle in his wise old face. Even his sideburns were wise looking!

"Riza, I was looking for you. How was your lesson? Did Master Kine make any breakthroughs?" As soon as he saw his ward, his face had split into a broad grin.

"I managed a blue flame, Master!" Riza genuinely liked the Head Sage. He was a kind man, and had a great sense of humor to him. Riza knew that he would never replace his father, who he still loved, but Master Yagi was like a kind old uncle. He had grinned even wider when he heard about the blue fire. "Really? That's splendid, simply splendid. Now come along, I have someone for you to meet."

"Uh, Master, what are all these people doing here?" Riza nodded towards the nearest one, a girl who was chopping up some sort of purple pods. She saw him and smiled back. Riza turned back to Yagi, "Apprentice Ranyu said they were Airbenders, but why are they here? And where's the meat!"

Master Yagi grabbed a papple from a passing Airbender and tossed it to Riza. "All will be explained soon. If you're still hungry in the meantime, eat this." He once again seemed to part the bustle in the kitchens with his mere presence, but this time Riza followed. They left out the door the Head Sage had come in, as Ranyu attempted once more to take charge of the situation in his kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

This is a work of fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nick and/or Brian and Mike.

Here's the next chapter. A little longer than the others, and I may make later ones even longer, as I have more story to tell.

* * *

Master Sage Yagi showed Riza into his office near the top of the temple. There, sitting on the floor was an old bald man in orange robes with a string of wooden beads around his neck.

"Monk Siangu, this is Fireprince Riza," Master Yagi said, bowing to the man. Siangu bowed back, a feat one might think to be impossible from the floor, but he managed it anyway.

"It is an honor to be in the presence of both the Avatar and the Prince of the Fire Nation. Kindly forgive me for not standing. I have been having joint trouble with my knees, and even the Healers of the Water Tribe cannot seem to fix them." He said. His voice was soft and melodious, and carried with it a great peace, as though this man could not be surprised by anything. Then he surprised Riza by adding, "It has certainly lowered my standing on the Airball courts." The image of this old, wizened man playing a children's game so shocked Riza that he actually snorted out loud before regaining his composure.

"I apologize for my lack of decorum, Master Siangu. It will not happen again." Riza assured him.

"Nonsense, boy! If you are going to live with us, you may as well be comfortable. There is no need to stand on formalities." The Monk quirked an eyebrow at Master Yagi, as if to ask 'what have you done to this poor child?'

"Prince Riza, there is no need for you to be so formal with Master Monk Siangu. Please, sit." Yagi gestured to a chair across the rug from where Siangu was sitting.

"Yes, Sifu," Riza said as he took a seat. Master Yagi sat down behind his desk.

"Now, the reason for all that hullabaloo in the kitchens, and the reason that I brought you up here to meet Monk Siangu is that you are about to progress to the next stage in your Avatar training. You have almost mastered Firebending, and so will be leaving us in a few weeks."

"What!" Riza cried, leaping to his feet, all thoughts of proper manners forgotten. Him, leave the Fire Temple? It was preposterous, it was insane, and he let both those old fools know just what he thought of the idea. Master Yagi grew furious at the flood of insults, and was about to do something about it when Siangu, with much creaking of joints, stood.

The Airbender was massive. He towered over both Yagi and Riza like a giant, and his presence seemed to triple. Where before he just sat unobtrusively on the rug, now he seemed to turn the room smaller, so that it pressed in on the two Firebenders. The only change to his face was that he was not smiling _quite_ as much as before. Immediately the quarreling master and apprentice sat back down and quieted up. How could they not, when they were confronted with the fury of a typhoon wrapped up in a giant?

"I am sorry to interrupt your argument, but perhaps it would be better for young Riza to hear you out, Master Sage Yagi?" There was still nothing but deference in the monk's voice as he gazed calmly at Yagi, and then at Riza. Seeing that they were both a little calmer, he sat back down, and the aura of power left the room.

"Yes, um…" Master Yagi seemed at a loss for words, but quickly remembered where he had left off, "As I said, you will be leaving us in a few weeks to go live with the Air Nomads, and continue your spiritual training among them. You will also, of course, learn Airbending while you are living with them."

Riza looked downwards towards the kitchen, almost as if he was looking through the floor at the hubbub contained within. "Then why are they all here? I thought that _I_ was going to live with _them_," he said.

"It is true that you will live with them when you go, however, I thought that it might be a good idea if they were to come and visit us for a time, to help you get used to their customs and ways in a more familiar setting." Yagi replied.

"And we, being nomads, found no fault with visiting our compatriots in the Fire Nation," said Siangu. "In fact, it has been a while since this many of us had left our temples for any length of time. We were getting complacent!" He chuckled, and then turned serious again. Or at least slightly less jovial.

Master Yagi glanced out the window at the setting sun, "It's getting late. Riza, you go get something to eat, and then I think it would be best if you retired for the night. I believe that we will all be very busy in the days to come."


	5. Chapter 5

This is a work of fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nick and/or Brian and Mike.

* * *

Master Yagi's words came true in their entirety. During the next week, Riza was kept so busy with his Firebending training with Master Kine, and his advanced lessons with Master Yagi, that he barely had any time to himself anymore. In addition to his Firebending and his normal chores, the prince was now engaged in intensive meditation exercises with the Air Monks. He learned in the time that the nomads were there that they were all vegetarians, and ate no meat. That certainly explained the strange scene the first day in the kitchens, and why there had been no fires. The diet was bland, but not boring. Being used to the hot, spicy foods of the Fire Nation, Riza had to adjust to the sweet and earthy tastes found in the salads the Air Nomads made with such skill. 

Eventually, though, the day came when the young Avatar would have to leave the Fire Temple, and the Fire Nation. Riza found himself once again in Master Sage Yagi's office, along with Master Monk Siangu, and an Airbender girl about his age. With a start, Riza realized that this was the same girl he had seen in the kitchens the first day! He quickly looked aside, embarrassed, though he didn't know why.

"Well," said Master Yagi, trying unsuccessfully to keep back tears, "I guess it's time for you to be going, Riza." He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "It will be so quiet without you here. I hope you remember us with kindness."

"I will miss you too, Sifu Yagi," Riza said, bowing. "I will not forget you or the rest of this temple. After all, I will be coming back once I have fully realized my potential as Avatar."

"Come, Avatar Riza. It is time for us to leave." Monk Siangu motioned towards the door. With a last glance at Master Yagi, Riza left the room and followed Siangu and the female Airbender out the door, down the winding temple stairs, and to the dragon stalls, where the Air Nomad's flying bison were being kept, alongside the temple beasts. Riza had never much liked the stables. They stank of straw and manure, and were dark and stuffy. The Air Nomads had cleaned things up a bit, and aired them out, so they weren't unbearable to the young prince, but he still didn't like them.

Before they got on their bison, which was already saddled and waiting for them, Monk Siangu turned to Riza.

"Avatar, before we leave, I want you to meet someone." He gestured at the girl that had been following them. "This is Kabria. She is one of our top apprentices, and is very close to earning her arrows. She will be your guide and tutor while you stay with us."

"Hello Kabria," Riza said.

"I am honored to be your companion, Avatar," she replied, bowing. Riza scrambled to bow back. He mentally berated himself. Had he forgotten all proper protocol while at the temple? Luckily, he was interrupted by one of the stables apprentices.

"Prince Riza! Fireprince Riza! Don't go yet, Master Zanchiru wishes to have a word with you!" The apprentice paused, winded.

Riza turned to him, and said, "Lead the way."

Monk Siangu and Kabria followed as the apprentice guided Riza to one of the stalls. Master Zanchiru stood there, waiting. When they got closer, Riza could see that there was something in the stall. It was shifting the straw around as it snorted and shuffed.

"Fireprince Riza! I am glad I caught you before you left." He looked into the stall, then back at Riza. "I have a gift for you before you go."

Riza gasped as Master Zanchiru opened the stall and let the 'gift' out. It immediately pounced, licking him with its rough tongue as the rest of it squirmed around. It was a young dragon, still only about ten feet long.

"His name is Zinder. He's only four, but he will enter his growth spurt soon, and he'll be of riding age in around five years."

"Thank you Master," Riza said after pushing the squirming Wyrm off of him. He got to his feet with a little help from Kabria. He muttered his thanks before turning his attentions back to Master Zanchiru and the writhing bundle of scales and horn that was Zinder. He bowed at the stable master, not really knowing any better way to show his appreciation of this unprecedented kindness.

"Now, I don't do this straight from the kindness of my heart, even though it is an honor to provide the Fireprince with a mount befitting his rank," he chuckled when the little dragon bumped into his prince's leg, "even if said mount hasn't grown into its dignity yet.

"No, there is a much more important reason for you to have this creature. It has long been the tradition for the Avatar to have an animal guide native to his home country. For centuries now in the Fire Nation, that guide has been a dragon. And it is with this purpose that I entrust Zinder to your care and you to his."

Riza, deciding that nothing he could say could possibly show his gratitude, simply bowed again to Master Zanchiru. He then turned to follow Kabria and Monk Siangu, who were heading back to their bison, and called to Zinder, who responded to his name with a playful growl as he started after his new boy.

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I am saddened by the lack of reviews that you, my readers, have written. You would think that someone would take a little time out of their busy fanfic reading and let me know how I'm doing. sigh, I guess that you just don't care about my story. Perhaps I should just stop bothering to write? 


	6. Chapter 6

Alright! first replies. Special thanks to Yurtleteh turtle and Jkrowfanatic. You guys are great!

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The Air Nomads had been flying for a while now, and Riza was beginning to go stir-crazy. There was nothing to do on this bison's back, and even watching Zinder frolicking about in the air was little fun after the first hour or two.

Riza turned from looking out off the saddle to where Kabria and Monk Siangu were setting out the midday meal. There were, of course, salads of every shape and size, most made of greens that Riza had never seen, and quite frankly, thought looked a little _too_ exotic. For the first time in his life, the Fireprince found himself wishing for some meat. A little roast turtleduck, perhaps some ground hippocow. Heck, even minced possumchicken would be good! Anything but this rabbiroo food would be welcome.

But _nooo_. Nothing to eat but leaves and grass and those weird purple pod things. The papples weren't bad, at least they had those back home in the Fire Nation… He was interrupted in his contemplatively foul mood by the smell of something not-green. He looked at Kabria, where the smell was coming from, and saw her pulling small loaves of dark brown bread out of a haversack. The smell was divine.

"Mmm, time for lunch already?" Riza asked. "That bread smells delicious."

"Well, that's too bad, isn't it?" Kabria said, "Because you can't have any."

"Whaa--?" Riza spluttered.

"This bread is for Airbenders only. You, Avatar though you may be, are not yet an Airbender."

Riza was flabbergasted. He had never been refused before!

"Here," said Kabria, "If you're hungry, have some fire flakes." She handed the dish of hot red flakes to him.

Zinder knew there was something to eat up here, he could smell it. The young dragon had been having fun playing with the sky bison, weaving in and out between their six legs, but it had been hours since he had eaten at the stables. Suddenly, he smelled it again. The food, but this time stronger. Someone had taken it out! The strongest smells were coming from his new boy, who sat on the back of one of the buffalo with one of the Orange People that smelled like clouds.

There it was! The source of the smell, a little bowl of food in his boy's hand. Zinder dove down upon it, grabbing it up and gobbling it down with alacrity. He delighted in the fiery taste and the little crunches as they munched them between his teeth.

Riza was caught totally unawares by the red bolt that fell out of the sky to land in his lap. The crimson Wyrm squirmed around in his lap, its nose buried with glee in _his_ bowl of Fire Flakes!

"Aahh! Zab-, Zib-, Zinder! Zinder, get off! Those are mine!" Kabria just chuckled, watching the bewildered prince try to contain the writhing ten foot dragon. He finally extricated himself from Zinder's coils. Through this all, Monk Siangu continued with his meal preparations. Kabria continued to laugh at the spectacle of prince and dragon, as Riza attempted to chastise Zinder, to no effect. The Wyrm just looked at him before jumping up and licking his face with a fire flake covered snout.

"What are you laughing at?" Riza demanded of her when he had control of the situation. "How would _you_ like being smothered with dragon slobber?"

"Oh, come off it. That's nothing compared to some of what I've had on me," she replied, still chuckling. She went a bit grim. "You should see what happens when one of the sky bison has a cold." She shivered. "NOT pleasant. Green slime as far as the eye could see. It took me a week to get it out of my clothes, and my hair had to be cut mostly off."

"All right, you win for grossest experience. But Zinder still ate my fire flakes." He looked beseechingly at her. "Do you have anything else I could eat?"

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Another kinda short chapter. I'm trying my darndedest to keep everything in the Avatar world, hence my use of Rabbiroo instead of rabbit. FYI, rabbiroos are in tales of Ba Sing Se when Aang visits the zoo. I would have used Flobsy's species, but they never said what they're called. I would welcome any suggestions of salad names or plant based food names that the Air Nomads would use. I am having trouble thinking them up. 


	7. Chapter 7

They reached the temple shortly after dawn. The bison flew down to their paddocks, and immediately set about eating and greeting the youngsters that had been left behind in the care of the rest of the nomads. Riza hadn't really known what to expect of the Southern Air Temple. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He had expected something. He had expected a quiet place, with monks wandering around, or meditating on the grounds. There were indeed monks, and they were wandering and meditating, but there was so much more. The entire mountaintop was a hive of activity, people in orange robes bustling here and there, carrying baskets of greens and clay. Children ran, and _flew_ in the streets, tossing balls to one another and rolling hoops. Some of the oldest monks were baking cakes with gooey centers, and placing them to cool on wide balcony railings.

Everywhere there was an easy peace, as though the rest of the world's troubles never reached here. And everything was _orange_. It was bewildering. Riza had heard that all the red and black in the Fire Nation was disconcerting to visitors, but he had never really thought about it until then. Now he knew what they had been talking about.

The three of them dismounted, and a stableman took their buffalo to the pens. Riza dismounted, reveling in the chance to stretch his legs and arms after sitting so still on the saddle for so long. He looked around himself again, taking stock of what was to be his home for however long it took him to learn Airbending.

Right in front of him was a large building, airily built even by the Nomad's standards, with tall, wide doorways to fit the Sky Bison. It was three stories tall, with all of them being used for the flying creatures. At the very top was a human sized observation and launching post, where people Riza assumed were thrill seekers jumped off the building with nothing to catch them, saving themselves at the last minute with bursts of air. Behind him there was a large plaza, with a fountain in the middle, and at the edge a steep drop-off down the mountain. To one side, the plaza narrowed into a path that spiraled to what must be another level below this one, and to the other side was another tall building, this one built into the rock face and going all the way up to the summit of the mountain. Riza thought that that must be the dormitories and temple.

"Avatar, please come with me. You must meet the other elders so we may decide on the best way to train you." Monk Siangu said, beckoning to the Fireprince. Riza followed him into the large building, and up what seemed like endless flights of stairs, until they finally reached the top. There was another balcony up here, this time all the way around. Seated on the ground around the middle of the covered area were half a dozen ancient, white haired monks, with their mustaches and beards done up in fancy styles. One of them, whose mustache hung all the way to the floor, stood.

"Welcome, Avatar, to the Southern Air Temple."

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Oooh, cliffhanger-y. Yeah, really short chap this time. I just had to get something up.

I just saw Avatar s.3 epi.6, and I like how I guessed the right temple for the Avatar's Air training. Spooky, int it?

Still looking for any reviews, on this or my other story. Yeah.


	8. Chapter 8

Weeks passed, and Riza became accustomed to daily life at the temple. In the mornings the monks had breakfast and meditation, noon saw the midday meal and meditation, and then there was supper and meditation. Oh, and chores in between. Shoveling Bison dung, caring for Zinder, and helping grow food. On the topic of Zinder, the little dragon was growing fast. He was now at least eleven feet long, and his horns had started to show their spurs. He had also made fast friends with one of the younger sky bison, Kabria's mount, Laphur. His Airbending training was coming along as well.

The monks decided fairly quickly about how to teach the new Avatar. It was, after all, something that had been done over and over again through the centuries, and Air was a natural compliment to Fire. The first thing, of course, was to get in touch with the element itself. To do this, the Monks decided to go easy on Riza. I mean, all they did was push him off a cliff! It really wasn't anything to make a big stink about, was it? And it worked! Seconds before the Fireprince would have been dashed to death on the rocks below, he instinctually pushed down, palms flat, and made enough of an air cushion to soften his impact to a less than bone crushing jar.

Needless to say, he was less than pleased with this method.

"What do you old fools think you were doing! I could have died out there!" Prince Riza stormed onto the veranda where the Monks were having their afternoon tea. "I thought that the point of going up the mountain was to feel the breezes and air currents! That _was_ what you told me, wasn't it? Oh, I got to study the breezes alright, while plummeting to my **DOOM!!** It wasn't even over a stream, or a pond. No, it had to be over a bunch of POINTY, **jagged**,** ROCKS!**" He screamed at them, letting them feel every ounce of his righteous anger. Flames started jetting out of his nostrils as he continued berating them. "I am the Prince of the Fire Nation, heir to the throne of the Firelord, you _know_ that! If you had killed me, it would mean WAR between our nations, and there would be no Avatar to stop it! You know why there would be no Avatar? BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE JUST KILLED HIM!!!!" Riza finally stopped raging at them, and stood there panting.

The monk with the long mustache, Monk Braham, answered him,

"Ah, but you _didn't_ die, did you? If you had, you would not be standing here yelling at a bunch of 'old fools'. Now sit down before you set the place on fire." He set his fingers to his lips and let loose a piercing whistle. A figure jumped off a nearby summit and glided over to land on the railing. It was Kabria.

"Now, since you are still very much alive, and have felt the Air for the first time, I believe that your training has begun." Kabria walked over to Riza, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kabria here will be your personal tutor, as well as continuing to be your guide and companion in the Air Nation. I'll leave you two to your training," he said, clearly a dismissal.

Riza was still fuming when he and Kabria left the tower. She had suggested just jumping off, now that Riza had learned how to keep from dying, but he flatly refused to go anywhere near the edge, and claimed that he was never_ever_ going to fly without a mount under him. _Ever_.

"You do realize that, being the Avatar, you will probably _have_ to fly on your own eventually, right?" Kabria asked.

"Hey, if Earthbenders, Firebenders and Waterbenders can do without flying, then I sure as Koh don't need to! Besides, I'll have Zinder," Riza replied. He looked around, scanning the skies. "Where is that dragon, anyways?"

Zinder, meanwhile, was having the time of his life hunting miniature Hog monkeys in the mountains surrounding the temple complex. He would chase the little things all over the peaks, swooping down on them, and attempting to snatch them up at the last minute. Unfortunately, he wasn't all that good, and didn't catch any. They would always dart into the underbrush or a ravine too small even for his lithe build.

He gave up his hunting, and went to see what his Person was doing.

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Well, Riza begins his Airbending Training. Sort of. Hee. This was a fun one to do. I hope you enjoy it. 


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright, time for your training to begin!" Kabria yelled at Riza. He looked around. They had come to one of the few valleys in the mountains that actually had a somewhat level slope. Above them, the mountains jutted their heads into the sky, and there looked like there was a colony of eaglevultures nesting on the far side. Suddenly, he was pushed about ten feet back by a heavy gust of wind.

"Hey, what was that for!?" he shouted, annoyed that Kabria had gotten the drop on him so easily. He decided that whenever he was around _any_ monks, it would be best to keep his guard up, cause they were all nuts.

"We're here to Airbend, right? Well, let's start already." Kabria said, "Now, first things first, we need a circle." She did a quick step jump towards Riza and spun around, creating a small whirlwind. When she landed and the wind died down, there was a perfect circle inscribed in the ground.

"May I ask what the circle is for, Oh Great Teacher?"

"You may, but I won't tell you, Oh Thickheaded Student. Now, stand here, on the edge, and start walking around it. I need to see how your stepping is." Puzzled, Riza complied. He must have walked around that thing for five minutes, Kabria staring intently at his feet the whole time, before she told him to stop. She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Figures that you would still be rooted to the ground. Luckily, being a Firebender, it isn't as bad for you as it is for most. Your inner flame keeps you light, and your style has you jumping and leaping enough that you are comfortable with being in the air." She started walking around the circle, inscribing lines in the ground as she went.

"I want you to start walking again, but this time keep on the balls of your feet with your knees bent." She looked at his new stance, and shouted, "Lower! And keep your knees out! Now walk, and don't you dare fall over."

Riza struggled to comply. Who would have known that beneath that friendly exterior, Kabria would have the manners of a Drill sergeant?

"Now, face inwards!" Half a minute later, "Jump and turn! Again! Keep it up," Kabria had finished drawing the lines. "Keep your arms up, defensive, not offensive. You want to react, not attack." She jumped into the circle. "Now DEFEND "YOURSELF!" She let loose with a flurry of blows, ranging from locks to palm strikes to trips and grapples. Some, Riza blocked. Others…not so much.

He found himself flying through the air for the second time that day. Luckily, the ground was much closer. Unluckily, it was still just as hard, and he had no air blast to cushion himself with.

"Oof!" He oofed, as he hit the ground, hard.

"Not to bad, but not near good enough. You managed to hold your own, but you instinctively shifted back to your Firebending stance to do it. Now get up and come over here." Riza picked himself off the ground, and walked cautiously towards his teacher. "Oh, hurry up. I'm not gonna hurt you anymore," she said, and reached out to grab his arm. "Now here's what I think will work best for you…"

The lesson continued on like that for a while, and would have lasted until well after sundown, if Zinder hadn't found them and decided to join in their 'play'. Riza was willing to bet that not even the oldest of the monks could have kept a straight face after watching the young dragon give Kabria a flying tackle just as she was about to come down after a jump. And the look on her face was absolutely priceless.

"Well, I think that that's enough for today, don't you?" she said, dusting herself off and trying her hardest to keep at least a little dignity. This was promptly spoiled by Zinder weaving between her legs and tripping her, to fall flat on her backside once again. Riza chuckled at the ignominious expression on his teacher's face. He leaned down to give her a hand up, but instead their heads collided as she lofted herself up on a small air blast.

They glared at each other as they stood rubbing their bruised noggins. Then, the tension broke and they both began laughing.

"Alright, then. Let's get back to the temple, okay?" Kabria said. "We're having pickled onions for the afternoon meal."

"Sounds…edible," said Riza. "But how are we going to return in time?"

"With Airbending! One of the simplest tricks an Airbender knows is how to manipulate air pressure through the use of wind. By taking the wind from in front of yourself, and putting it behind you, you can run extraordinarily fast," she explained. "You focus on pushing the air out from in front of you each time you extend a limb forward, while at the same time pulling it in behind you. Here, watch the dust." She sped off, leaving a multitude of eddies in her wake. Riza goggled before he remembered that he was supposed to be watching her. He noticed that the eddies did indeed seem to be focused around where her arms and legs would be. From far down the mountain, a breeze carried Kabria's voice up to him. "I'm not coming back, so you'll need to catch up to me if you want more help!" she yelled.

"I'm coming!" he shouted back, but without a breeze to help carry his words, he wasn't sure if she would hear them. _So, just push and pull. I can do that._


	10. Chapter 10

Ch 10

It was remarkably easy, once he got into the rhythm of it. Of course, that didn't mean that he didn't fall down – horribly- a few times first, with Kabria laughing uproariously every time. Riza loved the feeling of going so fast, the wind streaming past his topknot. He managed to catch up to Kabria, and they got back to the temple pretty quickly, with Zinder flying behind.

The pickled onions weren't too bad, and the grilled egg-plant was actually pretty tasty. Riza had gotten over his anger at the elder monks, but he was still annoyed with them.

That annoyance soon faded in a few weeks as he witnessed the Airbenders' legendary sense of humor come into play in the oddest of ways. Once, when he attended one of Kabria's advanced Airbending classes, he watched her and Monk Siangu shoot freshly baked cakes off a ledge and onto the heads of some of the other elder monks.

"And that, Kabria, is why the gooey center is so important," the Master Monk had said, winking at Riza standing in the doorway.

Riza's training was continuing apace as well, and he was learning the forms and techniques of Airbending almost as well as his native firebending. He would still go back to the forms he knew so well when he was frustrated, but more and more he was feeling the circles and spirals that permeated the style, as they dotted the temple and rituals of the Air Nomads. He had taken to wearing a pair of the shorts novice Airbenders wore, with a large flap attached to the legs to catch the air and allow one to loft oneself into the sky. Though they weren't orange. They were done in the traditional red and black of the Fire Nation. After all, Riza _was_ still the crown prince, and he had to keep up appearances.

One thing that he still didn't do was fly. The monks had provided him with a glider, but other than train with it in its staff form, he didn't use it. During flying classes, while all the other Airbenders in training were learning how soar among the clouds, Riza would either be on the ground watching or at the stables tending to Zinder.

The little dragon was growing apace. Already he was fifteen feet long, and he had even more energy than before. The hog monkeys were all terrified of him, and scattered whenever they saw a shadow on the ground. His scales were taking on the burnished, ruddy gold color of a dragon's early adulthood, and his horn spurs were starting to show. According to Zanchiru, back at the Fire Nation temple, Zinder's bones and muscles would be developed enough for flight once the spurs had started to curve downwards.

One day, months after that first day on the mountain, Riza was approached by Master Siangu.

"Avatar, I believe that you have learned enough to progress to the next level of your training," he said.

"Truly?" asked Riza. "Will I get to learn how to create a tornado, or a typhoon? Finally, you'll teach me the advanced sets!" He set down the ink and brush he had been using to write a letter home to his parents.

"No, I won't be teaching you how to summon storms." The master monk chuckled at Riza. "It is time for you to take the next step on your path towards becoming a fully realized Avatar. You must learn about the Spirit World.


	11. Chapter 11

"The Avatar, as you should know, is not just a powerful individual. He or she is the conduit through which the world keeps itself in balance, and the bridge to the spirit realm," Siangu intoned as Riza entered the room. The head monk had summoned him here, to the innermost chamber of the Southern Air Temple. They stood before an enormous door, covered in intricate carvings and sporting a complex lock that could only be opened by a master Airbender.

Riza replied to Siangu, wishing to show off his knowledge of the Avatar cycle.

"The cycle of death and rebirth symbolizes the cycle of life, and the Avatar cycle symbolizes the turning of the seasons. That's why it progresses Fire, Air, Water, Earth. The elements represent summer, autumn, winter and spring, right?"

"That is correct. Now, I wish to show you something very special." So saying, he pulled up his sleeves, took a step back, and thrust both palms out straight in front of him, aimed at the door. The twin streams of air he created were funneled into a pair of tubes on either side, and from there were piped into the air-lock, spinning three enormous spirals and sounding a melancholy, resonant hum.

The doors swung wide, revealing a towering chamber, cut with a ramp spiraling upwards into the darkness. Standing on this ramp, and a short way onto a spiral path on the floor, were stone statues. Each was dressed in the ceremonial garb of one of the four nations, with their hands crossed in front of them.

Riza gaped, in awe of the room. He knew who these were. They were the past Avatars, his past lives, forever remembered in stone.

"When an Avatar dies, his spirit does not stay in the spirit realm, but instead is reincarnated in the nation next in line." Siangu looked at Riza, "When you die, your spirit will be reborn in the Air Nomads."

"I've heard this before, at the Fire Temple. What does it have to do with being a bridge?"

"Because your spirit never stays in the Spirit World for very long, you have a stronger than usual connection with the world. Where an average individual would have an even balance, and a bender have more spirituality, the pull of the physical world on you is stronger than the pull of the spirit world. This allows the Avatar to travel anywhere in the Spirit World with no fear of becoming trapped there."

Riza gave the monk a puzzled frown, "But if most benders are more in tune with their spiritual side, why is the Avatar, why am I, such a powerful bender?"

"That, is a very good question." The monk stepped forward, into the center of the room, and gestured for Riza to follow. "I believe that with every life you live, you gain more spiritual awareness, become more connected to the Spirit Realm, and to the elements. Your connection to the world grows as well, keeping the two in balance. The reason you are so strong," here the monk gestured upward, and Riza followed his arm to look hundreds of feet up, a towering chamber, and an Avatar every few feet, "is that you have lived all of these past lives, and gained knowledge from each." There must have been thousands of statues, and thousands of years of prior experience.

The two came to the other side of the room, where the line of statues stopped. The last statue was that of an Earthbender, holding a jian by his side.

"This was your last incarnation, an Avatar born in the Earth Kingdom. He was Avatar Shan. He was actually the one that flipped the Western Air Temple, when an Earth Kingdom army invaded the Fire Nation in pursuit of fugitive refugees. Though, perhaps he could tell you about it himself."

At this, Riza became confused. He looked up at his mentor. "What do you mean? Isn't he dead?"

"Yes, he is. Then again, he isn't. He is one of your past lives, and is therefore still a part of you, deep inside. Past Avatars have been able to access the wisdom of their prior lives through deep meditation in spiritual places, such as the central chamber of a temple." Riza looked surprised, then thoughtful as he realized what Siangu was getting at. "This would be a perfect opportunity to get to know yourself better, so I will leave you to your meditation." So saying, Siangu strode out of the chamber, and down the corridor.

Riza looked into the eyes of his past life, then settled down in lotus position on the floor in front of the statue. Breathing slowly and evenly in through his nose, and out of his mouth, he entered the trancelike state familiar from many years of meditation, thinking of nothing, aware of everything around and within him. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Over and over, peaceful, steady. He fell deeper and deeper into himself, seeking out his past life. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Rhythmic and calm.

"Hello, young Avatar."

Riza opened his eyes and found himself looking at the living face of Avatar Shan.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Hello, Riza."

"Avatar Shan, it is an honor to be in your presence," Riza said, bowing down before the man.

"Please, Riza, call me Shan. And stop bowing like that, it's embarrassing. Besides, you're always in my presence. After all, I am you, and you are me." He took a breath and looked around him. Riza only then realized that he wasn't in the temple anymore.

He and Shan were on top of an enormous loop of rock, with a thick layer of clouds overhanging them. Here and there, mountains poked down out of the clouds, and a forest covered the land beneath them.

"Where are we?" Riza asked.

"We are in the Spirit World. This is a part of it that I enjoy visiting, and a relatively safe area too, for our first meeting. Now, I believe that you wished to ask me something?" Shan quirked an eyebrow at his reincarnation.

"Yes, I did. It's nothing really big or important, but… I'd like to know how the Western Air Temple got flipped upside-down." Riza looked up hopefully at Shan, who sighed and sat down in front of him.

"The past is always important, Riza. Even the smallest thing may have a great effect further down the road into the future. This is a lesson that all Avatars must learn quickly, as we rarely do small things, even when small is all that we are trying for. As for your question...

It was a long time ago that the Western Air Temple was built. It was the third to be constructed, after the Southern and Northern Temples. Before that, the Air Nomads had been strictly that; nomadic peoples who never stayed in one place long enough to call it home. They were more common in the mountainous archipelagos to the north and south of the Fire Nation, and to the east of the Earth Kingdom, but you could find an Air Nomad almost anywhere you would think to look.

The Western Air Temple was built in the Fire Nation, however, not in the territories traditionally thought of as that of the Nomads. The Fire Nation was willing, and the Air Nomads didn't really care where they set down roots. The temple itself was situated in the middle of a vast plain, as the volcanoes were sacred to Agni and there were no other mountains in the Fire Nation suitable for an Air Temple. For this reason, this temple was built differently. Instead of flowing along the natural surfaces they were given, the architects instead created tall, tiered buildings, artificial mountains jutting up from the plains. It was a proud sight, sunlight gleaming off the red tile roofs, the Sky Bison grazing on the long grass and soaring through the air.

The nuns of the Western Air Temple were kind and gentle women, and they would often take in orphans or sick folk and give them a place to stay. But though this was undoubtedly a good thing for them to do, it sometimes led to trouble.

When I was Avatar, the Earth Kingdom was ruled by a harsh man, and though his laws were fair, his punishments were brutal. Through respect and admiration he kept his position, and through fear he kept down crime.

However, just though his laws were, mistakes were still made in upholding them. A day came when a traveling family, weary from days of circling the Great Desert, trying to seek a new life on the coast, came through a small town, run by a relative of the Earth King.

The day after the family left, it was discovered that a priceless royal heirloom had been stolen from the mayor, the Earth King's third cousin. An entire garrison was mobilized, all to find the family and retrieve the heirloom, no matter the cost. The family found out about the pursuit, and managed to find transportation to the Fire Nation's main island. In those days, the Firelord, your grandfather, Riza, would listen to all those who wished to see him, instead of leaving it up to the beurocrats to decide who was important enough.

The family petitioned the Firelord for sanctuary, insisting that they did nothing wrong, but he didn't wish to do anything that might cause war between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, so he sent them to the Western Air Temple, sovereign ground upon which the Fire Nation had no political power, and which was protected by its status as a holy place.

The Earth King, though, was a rigid man, and his laws concerning criminals were unwavering, even to the point of invasion. An entire army was shipped overseas to the Fire Nation capitol island in pursuit of that single family. The Firelord did not wish to repel the invaders with military force; after all, they were doing nothing to the land or the people of the Fire Nation, and the refugees were in fact of the Earth Kingdom. So the Fire Nation armies were not mustered, but he did not wish to do nothing. Torn between protecting innocents and declaring war, your grandfather called upon me to intervene.

It was far too late for the Nuns to evacuate, and I did not wish to harm soldiers who were only following orders, so there was only one course left to me. Deception.

I appeared in front of the army, and insisted upon meeting with the leader. When he came forward, I asked what he wanted, and he demanded that the family be turned over for the Earth King's justice. I agreed with him, that yes, justice was necessary, then turned, and with the power of the Avatar State, I split asunder the earth and plunged the Western Air Temple in its entirety into the chasm.

I did nothing more, but the Earth Kingdom army left that day, and I gained a reputation as a cruel and ruthless Avatar.

To the Earth Kingdom, it appeared as though I had destroyed the temple and killed all within it, and the Water Tribes soon learned of this as well. In truth, I had flipped the temple and attached it to the underside of the newly formed cliff, while protecting everyone inside and strengthening the structure to hold up to gravity. Only the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads knew the truth, and so it remains until this day.


End file.
